Covered slide fastener

ABSTRACT

A COVERED SLID FASTENER (ZIPPER) IN WHICH THE SLIDE FFASTENER ELEMENTS (THE COUPLING MEMBERS) OF EACH OF A PAIR OF COOPERATING STRINGERS ARE COVERED ELEMENT WHICH EXTENDS OVER THE SLIDE FASTENER ELEMENTS IN THE STRINGER, THE COVER ELEMENT FOR EACH STRINGER BEING MADE OF A RESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL CONTOURED OR PROFILED SO RESILIENTLY EMBRACE THE SLIDE FASTENER ELEMENTS ON ONE SIDE OF FACE OF SUCH STRINGER. FOR A SIDE AND FACE AND PREFERABLY FOR EACH SIDE OR FACE OF THE SLIDE FASTENER, THE COVER ELEMENTS OF BOTH COOPERATING STRINGERS ARRANGE THEMSELVES IN MUTUALLY OVERLAPPING CONDITION WHEN THE ZIPPER IS IN CLOSED CONDITION. THE SLIDER OF THE SLIDE FASTENER IS MOVABLE IN ITS ZIPPER OPENING AND CLOSING OPERATION FULLY EMBRACED WITHIN THE OVERLAPPING COVER ELEMENTS. THE ZIPPER THEREBY FUNCTIONS EFFECTIVELY AS A SNAG-PROOF ZIPPER.

De- 7, 1971 F. N. os'rERKoRN 3,524,871

COVERED SLIDE FASTENER Filed May 8, 1970 ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,624,871 COVERED SLIDE FASTENER Frederick N. Osterkorn, 45 East End Ave., Neptune City, NJ. 07753 Filed May 8, 1970, Ser. No. 35,862 Int. Cl. A44b .Z9/34 U.S. Cl. 24-205.1 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A covered slide fastener (Zipper) in which the slide fastener elements (the coupling members) of each of a pair of cooperating stringers are covered by a cover element which extends over the slide fastener elements in the Stringer, the cover element for each Stringer being made of a resilient plastic material contoured or profiled to resiliently embrace the slide fastener elements on one side or face of such stringer. For a side and face and preferably for each side or face of the slide fastener, the cover elements of 4both cooperating stringers arrange themselves in mutually overlapping condition when the Zipper is in closed condition. The slider of the slide fastener is movable in its zipper opening and closing operation fully embraced within the overlapping cover elements. The zipper thereby functions effectively as a snagproof zipper.

This invention relates to improvements in slide fasteners and more particularly to an improved covered slide fastener.

Slide fasteners or so-called zippers embodying cover elements for covering the slide fastener elements or coupling members of a pair of cooperating so-called stringers in the operation of the zipper have been the Subject of Some past development. These have been designed for the intended purpose of rendering the slide fastener snag-proof, i.e. preventing the catching of cloth material, or threads of garment with which the zipper is used, between the fastener elements in the operation of the slide fastener. This purpose, however, has not been adequately achieved in the past designs of such slide fasteners for a number of reasons.

In known designs of covered zippers, the cover elements which usually consist of a part attached to or made integral with the slide fastener tape and a part eX- tending over to cover the slide fastener elements mounted on the tape, are made of a woven cloth fabric. The free ends of Such cover elements of a pair of cooperating stringers are usually made so as to abut each other in fiat condition at the junction of the closed part of the zipper and in Some suggested designs to overlap each other at such junction; but in either case the meeting or overlapping of the fiat cover elements is insufficient to fully cover the fastener elements or to cover the Same so as to avoid the snagging of the garment material at the crucial point or area of operation of the slider, namely at the point of the slider where the slide fastener elements are coupled or decoupled in the closing or opening operation of the zipper. The snag-proof operation is rendered more difficult to achieve because of the pull device of the slider which has to extend to the outside of the covers and thus exposes the slider to snagging. Furthermore, such woven fabric covers become threadbare through use and thus interfere with and, in extreme eases, vitiate the intended snag-proof operation.

The covered zipper of my present invention is designed to cure these stated drawbacks or defects of prior covered zipper Structures. In the covered zipper of my present invention, the cover element and particularly the part thereof which extends over the slide fastener elements or coupling members of each Stringer is made of a resilient ice plastic material and is contoured or profiled to resiliently embrace the slide fastener elements on one side or face of that Stringer. As a result, for a side or face of the zipper, the cover elements of two cooperating stringers of the zipper arrange themselves in mutually embracing and overlapping condition when the zipper is in closed condition, and when applied to both sides or faces of the zipper, the cover elements of each stringer encapsulate the slide fastener elements of such Stringer in the open condition of the zipper and the cover elements of both stringers arrange themselves in mutually embracing and overlapping condition on each side of the Stringer in the closed condition of the zipper. AS a further result, the slider moves in its opening and closing operations entirely embraced within the overlapping cover elements on each or both Sides or faces of the zipper, thereby rendering the zipper effectively Snag-proof.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing objects and such other objects as may hereinafter appear, my invention relates to a covered slide fastener or zipper as is more particularly defined in the appended claims considered with the accompanying specification and the appended drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the covered slide fastener of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof shown on a reduced Scale;

FIG. 3 is a View thereof, shown on an enlarged scale and taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 3 3 of FIG. l;

FIG. 4 is a view thereof taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 4-4 of FIG. l;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectioned view of a modification of a covered slide fastener of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the modified structure of FIG. 5.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings and having reference first to FIGS. 1-4 thereof, the covered slide fastener of the invention is shown applied to a conventional slide fastener or zipper. Such a conventional zipper comprises a pair of strings S, S composed of a pair of slide fastener tapes 10, 10, and a series of cooperating or mating slide fastener elements 12, consisting of a Set of such elements 14, 14 mounted on each of the tapes 10, 10, and a slider 16 cooperating with said sets of fastener elements on said stringers, to open and close the same, the slider being provided with the usual pull device 18.

The covered slide fastener of the invention is characterized by the provision of a cover structure for the said sets 14, 14 of the slide fastener elements, the cover structure comprising at least (i.e. for one side or face of the zipper) a pair of cooperating cover elements 20, 20, one for each set of fastener elements, each cover element being made of a resilient plastic material and each cover element being configured to have a preferably fiat part 22 attached to the Stringer tape 10 as by means of the line of stitching 24, and a part 26 in a contoured form extending over and resiliently embracing the set of slide fastener elements 14 on one side of the Stringer when the fastener is in open condition, as best depicted in FIGS. l and 4 of the drawings.

When, as in the preferred form of the invention, the cover structure is provided for and applied to the op posite faces or Sides of the slide fastener, namely the front (top) as well as the back face of the slide fastener, as clearly shown in FIGS. 1-4 (the cover structure parts for the back side being indicated by the same reference characters as applied to the cover structure parts for the top Side), the contoured parts 26, 26 of the two oppositely positioned cover structures of each Stringer resiliently encapsulate the set of slide fastener elements 14 for such stringer when the fastener is in its open condition, as is best illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4 of the drawings.

Each cover element 20 of the cover structure is precontoured to the shape described by molding, casting or extruding a plastic material in strip form as shown in the drawings, such a plastic material being made of silicone or Teon (a fluorocarbon) or similar material, in the preformed shape described, and which material also possesses the desired pliability or flexibility needed for the intended purpose. In the form of the invention shown in the drawings, the contoured part 26 of each cover element is preferably given a semi-tubular prole as best indicated in FIG. 4.

With this described construction of the covered slide fastener, the following results are achieved:

( 1) In the open position of the slide fastener, best depicted in FIGS. yl and 4, each cover element 20 on one side of the stringers S, S has its contoured part 26 extend over and resiliently embrace the set of slide fastener elements on each of the stringers; and when the cover elements are applied, as in the preferred form, to both sides or faces of the slide fastener, the contoured parts 2.6, 26 of both the top and bottom cover elements extend over and resiliently encapsulate the set of slide fastener elements on each Stringer, fully enclosing the same;

(2) At the closed region of the slide fastener, the contoured parts 26, 26 on each face and each side of the two stringers S, S arrange themselves in mutually embracing overlapping condition over the series 12 of slide fastener elements, as is best depicted in FIG. 3 of the drawings, as well as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof; and

(3) The slider 16 in its movement to open and close the slide fastener is always embraced within the overlapping contoured cover element parts, as best depicted in FIG. 1, despite the extension to the exterior of the slide fastener of the slider pull 18;

and thereby in the region of the slider where the slide fastener elements are coupled and uncoupled in the closing and opening operation of the zipper, the slide fastener elements and the actuating slider are completely covered and concealed, thereby producing the intended snag-proof operation.

The cover structure of the invention is made of a plastic material of the character referred to, which is heat resistant and which can be controlled for any desired heat temperature prescription to hold its profile on preform for encompassing the slide fastener elements and the slider on all positions of its operation. It is not subject to the sagging and wear experienced with woven fabric material covers heretofore used.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 of the drawings, I show a modification of the covered slide fastener of the invention. In this modification, provision is made to mount the slider pull exteriorly of the slide fastener thus avoiding its being extended to the interior from the encapsulated slider; and thereby the slider is completely embraced by the cover elements of the cover structure within the full opening and closing movement of the slider.

In this modified form of the invention the parts of the stringers and the cover structures tfor both sides of the stringers are indicated by reference characters, but primed, as the reference characters applied to FIGS. 1-4 of the drawings.

In this inventive form the slider 16 is provided at its front wall 28 with an S-shaped member 30, secured to said wall as by being brazed or Welded thereto as at 32, the said S-shaped member having superimposed spaces 34 and 36 which receive the preformed or semitubular parts 26', 26 of the two top cover members 20', 20', and in so doing the preformed parts 26', 26 are temporarily flattened as clearly shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings. The pull device 118 of the slider is attached to (pivotally hung on) the front wall 38 of the S-shaped member 30. By this means the pull-tab or device at no time extends upwardly from within the enclosing cover parts, and consequently the slider and the slide [fastener elements of the stringers are at all times embraced and enclosed by the preformed cover parts.

The use and operation as well as the indicated advantages of the covered slide fastener of my invention will, in the main, be fully apparent from the above description of the structure and operation thereof. It will also be apparent that changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a slide fastener having a pair of stringers composed olf a pair of slide fastener tapes and a series of cooperating slide fastener elements comprising a set of such elements mounted on each of said tapes, and a slider cooperating with said sets of fastener elements on said stringers to open and close the fastener, characterized by the provision of a cover structure for said sets of slide fastener elements comprising a pair of cooperating cover elements one for each set of fastener elements, each cover element being made of a resilient plastic material, each cover element having a part attached to a Stringer tape and a part in a contoured form extending over and resiliently embracing the set of slide fastener elements on one side of its' Stringer when the 'fastener is in open condition, the said contoured parts of the cover elements of both stringers arranging themselves in mutually embracing overlapping condition when the fastener is closed, the slider being movable in its opening and closing operation embraced Within 4the said overlapping cover element parts.

2. The slide fastener of claim 1 in which each of the opposite faces of said slide fastener is provided with a cover structure as defined in claim 1, the contoured parts of the cover elements on the opposite faces of each stringer thereby encapsulating the slide fastener elements on such Stringer.

3. The slide fastener of claim 1 in which the slider is provided with a pull device extending from the front of the slider and from the overlapping cover element parts embracing the slider.

4. The slide fastener of claim 1, in which the slider is provided at its front 'Wall with an attached S-shaped member, the superimposed spaces in said member receiving the contoured parts of the cover elements, and a pull device carried by the front wall of said member, lwhereby the slider is at all times in its operation covered and embraced by the cover elements.

I5. The slide fastener of claim 2, in which the slider is provided at its front wall with an attached S-shaped member, the superimposed spaces of which receive the contoured parts of the cover elements at the front of the slider, and a pull device carried by the front wall of said member, whereby the slider is at all times in its operation covered and encapsulated by the cover elements.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,385,816 10/1945 Krupp 24-205.1

2,311,556 2/ 1943 Marinsky 24-205.1

2,422,249 6/ 1947 Malluk 2,4--205 .1

2,097,099 10/ 1937 I egat 24--205 B UX 3,516,409 6/ 1970 Howell 1 24-205.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 214,594 7/ 1941 Switzerland 24-205 .1

BERNARD A. GELAK, Primary Examiner U.S. CI. X.R. 24-205.15 

